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Gastroenterology/GI Lab

The Gastrointestinal Lab (GI Lab) at DeGraff Memorial Hospital provides access to state-of-the-art, high quality gastroenterology and biliary diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for both inpatients and outpatients.

Gastroenterology and Colorectal Specialists routinely provide the following services in the GI Lab:

Colonoscopy

An endoscope is passed through the rectum and into the large intestine. Small samples of tissue (approximately the size of the tip of a pencil or a hang nail) are the inner lining and tissue are visable. The tissue are sent to a lab to be evaluated under a microscope by a pathologist. This procedure is usually done under general anesthesia. Eating and drinking restrictions will be given to you by the nurse prior to the procedure. In order to visualize the bowel during the colonoscopy, a bowel cleanout will be need to be done prior to the procedure. You may be drowsy as an effect of the general anesthesia and should plan on a quiet recovery at home for the remainder of the day. Normal activities may resume the following day.

Upper Endosopy

An endoscope is passed in through the mouth, into the stomach and into the beginning of the small intestine. Small samples of tissue (approximately the size of the tip of a pencil or hang nail) are taken and the inner lining and tissue are visualized. The tissue samples are sent to a lab to be evaluated under a microscope by a pathologist. This procedure is usually done under general anesthesia.

Eating and drinking restrictions will be given to you by the nurse prior to the procedure. You may experience a mild sore throat for 24 hours post procedure that can usually be relieved by consuming cold liquids and/or popsicles.

You may be drowsy as an effect of the general anesthesia and should plan on a quiet recovery at home for the remainder of the day. Normal activities may resume the following day.